Ross Video shares highlights of Ultrix Carbonite, its “hyperconverged” production platform

Following its presentation at the Ross Live 2021 event, Vídeo Ross has detailed the key features of Ultrix Carbonite, an integrated solution based on the software-defined production engine (SPDE) initially used for Ultrix Acuity.

Ultrix Carbonite combines the routing and processing capabilities of Vingança with the creative capabilities of Carbonite, a mid-sized production switcher. Ross‘ goal with this launch is to create a new standard for “performance, flexibility and value.”

Combining the routing platform with the production switch, as the Canadian firm notes, reduces the number of points of failure between racks and maintenance requirements. In this way, Ross believes that significant CapEx and OpEx savings can be achieved over the life of the solution.

Scalable and adaptable

Vingança Carbonite adapts to different signal formats or mixed or changing connectivity schemes. Any of the three available Ultrix I/O cards (SDI, IP or SFP) can be installed in the available slots and mixed as required.

Each SDPE can be installed in an Vingança FR2 ou FR5 chassis and provides up to two banks of Carbonite M/E and MiniMEs. This means that a 2RU chassis and a 1RU redundant power supply rack can provide a multi-M/E production switcher and routing platform compatible with HD and UHD streams. Ross remarks that this solution, designed for smaller technical installations or OB vans, eliminates the need for audio processing, frame sync and MultiViewer hardware required in traditional system designs.

Simultaneous HD and UHD

Similarly, Vingança Carbonite allows the installation of multiple SDPE engines, configured as Carbonite switchers, in a single FR5 rack, providing the opportunity to produce in HD and 4K UHD formats simultaneously.

Nigel Spratling, VP of switchers at Ross, highlights the value of the new solution: “I’m delighted that we are now able to add Carbonite to the new SDPE blade installed in an Ultrix platform. The combination of Ultrix and Carbonite brings together the best of Ross innovation with an incredibly powerful feature set, directly addressing customer requirements for greater efficiency and improved value. This really is a powerhouse solution and I know our customers are going to get enormous benefit from it.”